Technical B-W overdrive, won't overdrive

Is the blocker ring in the proper position?

 

I put it all back according to the instructions. There is much info on these on the www plus I have a Chevy shop manual. I hope it isn't the blocker ring since that means pulling the tranny apart. Since I have a toasted relay, I'm fixing that and pray that is the problem. Anything else and I will just wait till next year to repair since it's starting to warm up some and I want to get back to driving.

 

Got the new wiring finished and relay replaced and took the car for a spin. Still no OD. The solenoid will engage, but........ I pushed in the cable and let off the gas. When I got back on the gas there was a clicking/grinding/something not meshing sound. Maybe the solenoid plunger is not pushing the pawl in enough? I feel I'm close to getting this thing to work, but keep hitting these hick-ups.

 

the one i worked on the cable had to be in to work and out to disengage.

 

Don't monkey around pulling and pushing the cable. You may damage the overdrive by pulling the cable out when driving. Push it in while stopped and leave it alone. The cable is only for locking out the overdrive so you can have compression braking below the 26mph "cut-in" speed. Only pull out the cable when stopped. When you pull it out it essentially makes the overdrive a "straight" (no overdrive) 3 speed trans. Also if you had the solenoid out, it removes by rotating it 1/4 turn counter-clockwise and installs in the reverse of that procedure. You may have missed getting the solenoid pawl in the ring.

Here's the thread with wiring diagram for the bosch relay replacing the original relay.
http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/more-chevy-3-speed-overdrive-questions.173331/

 

I agree. The cable pull should be thought of as an "overdrive enabler/disabler" not an on/off switch. The default position is enabled and changes should only be made when the car is stopped.

That being said, I don't think the cable is the problem. Perhaps the solenoid is not properly installed. If you unbolt the solenoid and it pulls right out (without having to give it 1/4 turn) that will tell you it wasn't properly installed.

 

Those 2 previous posts are Golden Rules. I treat my overdrive like two separate transmissions...IF I'm carrying a load of firewood I pull the control lever marked OVERDRIVE OUT and treat the transmission as a regular three speed. The other transmission, OVERDRIVE IN is my daily driver, with 5 forward speeds.

 

Thanks for the help. I will check the solenoid to be sure it is installed correctly and check the plunger movement to insure that it does in fact project from the body. And I will take another look at the cable to be sure it is pushing the lever to the stop. Lastly I will test drive as you have suggested.

 

I just got my BW overdrive working. It ended up being the way I wired it. Here's a thread I posted to. Hope it helps.

http://jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/59-chev-wagon-kickdown-overdrive-hei-wtf.253620/

 

I'm totally lost on this thing. Talked to Randy Rundle and read his OD manual. Checked and re-checked all the electrical components. The solenoid is properly installed and works, governor kicks in around 35, cable adjusted to push lever to the stop. Still it doesn't work. The tranny will freewheel when I lift off the gas, but that is as close as it gets to working. I've had the tranny apart and it looks fine, but I'm not a transmission guy so perhaps I missed something.

I'm going to drive it the rest of the year and perhaps tear into it over the winter. Anyone with experience in this area?

 

Damn Sam, that sucks...
Sorry I'm not able to help with the issue, but maybe with a pump, somebody else that can will see this.

 

Going roadtesting, one is just guessing WIGO. I do my overdrive testing running on a hoist. Much easier to get under where one can see and feel and test what is actually happening when the governor kicks in and when the solenoid pulls.

Seems simple, but make sure you're using the correct schematic which matches your parts. About the time Studebaker changed from 6-volt to 12-volt, they also changed wiring for the relay, the solenoid and the kickdown switch. The later solenoids were three wire and didn't use a relay. The later kickdown switch was internally different. Just moving parts from one version to the other wouldn't work.

jack vines

 

Yep, I'm in Charlottesville, you bring it up here this Winter, we'll tear it down in 1/2 an hour, find the problem, get that right and 3 hours after that, fully cleaned it will be ready to go. I have spare parts but be forwarned, I can't give them away as I am a dd/only vehicle and this is my 'stash'. I do have an 'overdrive angel' that I can get parts from, so essentially have confidence you WILL fix it and you WON'T pay out through the nose.

 

^^^ Thanks. I will keep in touch.

 

I had the same problem with my transmission. It turned out to be the blocker ring didn't have the correct tension on the baulk ring gear. It needs like 5# of drag on it to be able to catch the solenoid when it in gauges.

 

^^ I saw the test for that in the assembly manual I have, but I don't have a fish scale and thought it would be all good. I guess I was wrong.

 

I bought a cheap scale from a sporting goods store for like $5.

 

^^^This.

 

Success! Pulled the tranny a few weeks ago and went through it and tightened up the Blocker Ring. On the test drive today, the OD worked just as it should.

Thanks for all the help.

 

Glad to hear, Sam! That's great news!

 

Great news!!

 

Good to hear. So many times these threads get forgotten because the OP doesn't come back and tell the group what the problem was.
Now I'm wondering if mine will work. I didn't take the OD unit apart, but put it on the back of my Saginaw 4 Speed. We'll see.

 

I also did the four speed conversion. Even with the OD not working, the four speed did just fine.
Look at the three speed case and you will see three holes in it that aren't in the four speed case. One is for the reverse OD release and the other two are for oil transfer from the OD unit to the main case. I also wired up a set of relays and switches that work the OD unit as it was originally, but different. Instead of having a kickdown on the throttle, I bought a shifter ball with a momentary switch in it. And the other relay I mounted behind the kick panel instead in the engine bay. Be sure to get relays that carry a constant load and rated for 30 amps and use heavy gage wire.